The invention relates to an autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot.
An autonomous mobile lawn mower robot is known.
The invention is based on the object of providing an autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot which has improved properties, in particular more functions.
The invention achieves this object by providing an autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot in accordance with claimed embodiments of the invention. Advantageous refinements and/or design embodiments of the invention are described and claimed herein.
The autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot according to the invention has a first motor-driven treatment tool, a second motor-driven treatment tool, and an open protective housing, in particular open at the bottom, with a lateral rim. The second motor-driven treatment tool is different from the first treatment tool. The first treatment tool defines a first treatment zone and is disposed within the protective housing in such a manner that the first treatment zone is located, in particularly completely, in a safety zone of the protective housing. The safety zone has a safety distance, in particular a minimum safety distance, from the lateral rim. The second treatment tool defines a second treatment zone. The second treatment zone is located at least partially, in particular completely, outside the safety zone. The autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot has an autonomous operation mode. In the autonomous operation mode, a maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool is, in particular relatively, smaller than a maximum kinetic energy of the first motor-driven treatment tool.
Since the safety zone has the safety distance from the lateral rim, a tool which is potentially dangerous to human beings or animals and which has a maximum kinetic energy that is relatively larger than that of the first motor-driven treatment tool can be disposed in the safety zone. The protective housing and/or the safety distance can guarantee that, in the case of contact between the green area maintenance robot and a human being or an animal, said human being or animal cannot readily come into contact with the first treatment tool that is disposed in the safety zone. The safety zone can be referred to as the risk zone. The maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool in the autonomous operation mode can be referred to as limited.
In particular, in the autonomous operation mode, in particular for the entire duration or time, respectively, of the autonomous operation mode, a limit, or an upper limit, respectively, of the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool, in particular in the case of an operation, or driving operation, respectively, or an activation, respectively, of the second motor-driven treatment tool can be, in particular be predefined or established so as to be smaller, than a limit, or an upper limit, respectively, of the maximum kinetic energy of the first motor-driven treatment tool, in particular in the case of an operation, or driving operation, respectively, or an activation, respectively, of the first motor-driven treatment tool. In other words, in the autonomous operation mode, in particular for the entire duration or time, respectively, of the autonomous operation mode, the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool can be unequal to and not larger than the maximum kinetic energy of the first motor-driven treatment tool.
The arrangement of the first motor-driven treatment tool in the safety zone, and the smaller maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool, enable, allow, and/or permit the autonomous operation mode of the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot. The autonomous operation mode can be referred to as the autonomous operating mode.
The autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot enables an autonomous treatment of an area to be treated by means of the first motor-driven treatment tool of said autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot. Additionally, the green area maintenance robot by means of the second motor-driven treatment tool thereof can enable an autonomous treatment of the area, in particular treatment of a peripheral region and/or of an edge region of the area, in such a manner as cannot and/or must not be possible, allowed, and/or permitted by means of the first treatment tool.
The area to be treated can be, for example, a free space, in particular unsealed soil, or a green area such as a meadow with a lawn. A lawn periphery and/or a lawn edge can advantageously be treated by means of the second treatment tool.
The first motor-driven treatment tool can comprise or be a first motor-driven cutting tool. Accordingly, the first treatment zone can be referred to as the first cutting zone. The second motor-driven treatment tool can comprise or be a second motor-driven cutting tool. Accordingly, the second treatment zone can be referred to as the second cutting zone. The first treatment zone can be defined by an end of the first treatment tool. The second treatment zone can be defined by an end of the second treatment tool. The protective housing can be referred to as the treatment tool cover. Open may mean that a treatment of the area to be treated can be possible by means of the first treatment tool.
Autonomously treating can mean that the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot can be configured to move and/or act on the area to be treated which may be predefined, and/or in the environment of said autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot, and/or to select at least one parameter such as, in particular, a path parameter and/or a reversal point in an autonomous, self-acting, self-determined, self-controlled manner, and/or independently of a user. Additionally or alternatively, autonomously treating can mean that the green area maintenance robot can be configured to autonomously start a treatment and/or terminate the treatment. The green area maintenance robot in the autonomous operating mode does not have to be controlled by the user, in particular not in the remote-controlled manner. In other words, the green area maintenance robot in the autonomous operating mode can operate in particular without any human control and/or guidance. The autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot can be referred to as a service robot and/or a service provider robot.
Additionally, the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot can have at least one lifting and/or tilting sensor, wherein the lifting and/or tilting sensor can be configured to detect any lifting and/or any tilting of the green area maintenance robot. The green area maintenance robot can be configured to render the first treatment tool and/or the second treatment tool inoperative, depending on any detected lifting and/or tilting.
Furthermore additionally or alternatively, the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot can have at least one obstacle sensor, wherein the obstacle sensor can be configured for detecting an obstacle. The green area maintenance robot can be configured to render the first treatment tool and/or the second treatment tool inoperative, depending on any detected obstacle. The obstacle can be, for example, a human being and/or an animal.
Furthermore additionally or alternatively, the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot can be configured in such a manner that the first motor-driven treatment tool takes evasive action when touching and/or contacting an obstacle.
In a refinement of the invention the first motor-driven treatment tool and/or the second motor-driven treatment tool in each case comprise/comprises at least one mowing line, at least one plastic knife, at least one metallic knife, and or a metallic cutting blade having at least one cutting edge and/or having at least one cutting tooth. This can enable mowing of grass, herbaceous plants, woody undergrowth, or comparatively small shrubs by means of the first treatment tool and/or of the second treatment tool. The first treatment tool and/or the second treatment tool can in each case be referred to as a lawn mowing tool. The green area maintenance robot can be referred to as a lawn mower robot; the green area maintenance robot can in particular be configured as a mulching mower robot.
In a refinement of the invention the first motor-driven treatment tool and/or the second motor-driven treatment tool in each case are/is configured as a rotating treatment tool. A respective rotation zone can be the corresponding treatment zone. The first treatment tool and/or the second treatment tool can in each case be configured to treat the product to be treated by the so-called free-cutting method, without a counter blade, in particular to generate a cutting procedure by way of the centrifugal force of the respective treatment tool. The respective kinetic energy can be referred to as a rotation energy.
In a refinement of the invention the safety distance is at least 4 centimetres (cm), in particular at least 8 cm, advantageously at least 15 cm.
In a refinement of the invention the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool in the autonomous operation mode is in a limit range from 5 to 25 Joule. The maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool can in particular be at maximum 10 Joule.
The limit of the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool, in particular in the autonomous operation mode, can lie, in particular be established, in the limit range from 5 to 25 Joule. The limit of the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool can in particular be at maximum 10 Joule.
In a refinement of the invention the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot is configured in such a manner that the second motor-driven treatment tool takes evasive action when touching and/or contacting an obstacle. The second treatment tool can advantageously be configured so as to be elastic. Additionally or alternatively, a receptacle of the second treatment tool can be configured so as to be elastic, flexible, and/or resilient. Furthermore additionally or alternatively, a drive shaft of the second treatment tool can be configured so as to be elastic.
In a refinement the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot has a boundary edge detection device and a control unit. The boundary edge detection device is configured to detect a boundary edge of the area to be treated. The control unit is configured to cooperate with the boundary edge detection device and, in particular in the autonomous operation mode, to control a movement of the green area maintenance robot on the area to be treated, in particular so as to depend on a detection of the boundary edge, in such a manner that the green area maintenance robot remains on the area to be treated, in particular within the boundary edge.
In one design embodiment of the invention the control unit, in particular in the autonomous operation mode, is configured to activate driving of the second motor-driven treatment tool upon detection of the boundary edge, and otherwise to deactivate driving of the second treatment tool. This enables any unnecessary driving of the second treatment tool to be avoided. The second treatment tool needs to be driven only where this can be of interest. This can reduce an energy consumption of the green area maintenance robot. The second treatment tool can advantageously only be driven within a distance of 2 metres (m), in particular within a distance of 1 m, from the boundary edge. Deactivating can mean that the second treatment tool can be decoupled from a drive motor, that the drive motor can be decoupled from a drive energy source, and/or can be non-activated.
In one design embodiment of the invention the boundary edge detection device comprises at least one magnetic field sensor. Additionally or alternatively, the boundary edge detection device comprises a satellite position determination receiver, in particular for determining position coordinates. Furthermore additionally or alternatively, the boundary edge detection device comprises a local positioning system device, in particular for determining position coordinates. The area to be treated can in particular be surrounded by a boundary wire, wherein an electric current can flow through the boundary wire, wherein the electric current can generate a distance -dependent magnetic field in the area. The boundary wire can define the boundary edge. The magnetic field sensor can be configured to detect the magnetic field and thus the boundary edge, in particular within a maximum distance from the boundary edge and/or from the boundary wire. The satellite position determination receiver can advantageously be configured for one or a plurality of satellite position determination systems such as NAVSTAR GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and/or BeiDou. The local positioning system device can advantageously be based on one or a plurality of different technologies such as distance measurements from hubs, optical signals, radio waves, magnetic fields, acoustic signals, ultra-wideband, Bluetooth, WLAN, ultrasound, and/or RFID. The local positioning system device can in particular be a receiver and/or a transmitter. Additionally or alternatively, the local positioning system device can be an active element and/or a passive element. In particular, a sequence of boundary edge coordinates of the boundary edge can be stored in the boundary edge detection device.
In a refinement of the invention the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot has a user control device, a user-controlled operation mode, and an operation mode switching device for switching, in particular automatically, between the autonomous operation mode and the user-controlled operation mode. The green area maintenance robot, in the user-controlled operation mode, by way of the first motor-driven treatment tool of the former, and of the second motor-driven treatment tool of the former, is controlled by the user by means of the user control device, and the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool is, in particular relatively, larger than in the autonomous operation mode. The larger kinetic energy of the second treatment tool can enable the area to be treated to be treated in such a manner as cannot and/or must not be possible, allowed, and/or permitted in the autonomous operation mode. Be controlled can mean that a movement of the green area maintenance robot, driving of the first treatment tool and/or driving of the second treatment tool can be controlled. The user-controlled operation mode can be referred to as a user control mode and/or a controlled and/or manual operation mode.
In particular in the user-controlled operation mode, in particular for the entire duration or time, respectively, of the user-controlled operation mode, the limit of the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool, in particular in the operation, or the driving, respectively, or the activation, respectively, of the second motor-driven treatment tool can be larger than in the autonomous operation mode. In other words, in the autonomous operation mode, in particular for the entire duration or time, respectively, of the autonomous operation mode, the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool can be unequal to and not larger than in the user-controlled operation mode.
In one design embodiment the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool in the user-controlled operation mode is above a limit range of 5 to 25 Joule. In particular, the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool can be larger than 10 Joule.
In the user-controlled operation mode the limit of the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool can in particular be, or be established, above the limit range of 5 to 25 Joule. In particular, the limit of the maximum kinetic energy of the second motor-driven treatment tool can be larger than 10 Joule.
In one design embodiment of the invention the autonomous mobile green area maintenance robot has a drive motor. The second motor-driven treatment tool is driven by means of the drive motor. The operation mode switching device is configured to, in particular relatively, throttle and/or lower, or to reduce, respectively, a maximum available drive power of the drive motor when switching from the user-controlled operation mode to the autonomous operation mode. The operation mode switching device can advantageously be configured to, in particular relatively, enhance, or to increase, respectively, a maximum available drive power of the drive motor when switching from the autonomous operation mode to the user-controlled operation mode.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.